Thursday, February 27, 2014

C is for Crimping. How to Finish a Beaded Necklace

The letter C in my ABC series brings me to the subject of crimping and a whole lot more: Connemara marble, Cork red marble, copper, chalcedony, carnelian, chasing hammers... So much in fact, that I decided to separate out the technique of crimping into a blog post of its own.

Crimping is a secure and professional way to finish off beaded jewellery in lieu of knotting. Personally, I would use a knot only if beading with elastic for a stretchy bracelet, but with  tigertail (nylon coated steel beading wire) for me, it's crimping all the way. 





Crimps are tiny metal beads which you thread onto the ends of a beaded string and crush flat to hold the beads in place. They cling to wire holding it fast. I prefer this method over knotting as it is durable and quite simply, I'm better at it and more able to get in really close to the last bead for a smooth finish. It also eliminates any possible need for using glue. Glue and me often come to a sticky end. You can get a special crimping tool to help but I use the traditional flat nose pliers for crushing and employ crimp covers for a neat finish.


beaded eyeglass chain finished with crimps & wire guards
Crimp covers are fold-over metal beads that give a sleeker, safer finish. Crimp covers come in a range of metals, precious included. For extra durability I often double crimp, especially in a big or heavier necklace and for bracelets, which can get rougher treatment as the wearer goes about their daily business. 



Double crimping is unusual, but it is one of the features of my hand work that makes it extra special. Here is how I finished this big statement necklace for a custom order:



 

For a heavy necklace like this I also use two strands of tigertail for extra strength. I began by making the beaded link to the clasp, then looped the string onto it. Next I threaded on the first crimp about 1mm from the end and crushed it flat. You have to be careful not to let the wires cross over inside the bead or it will be weak.


The next stage is to grip a suitably sized  crimp cover and place the crushed crimp into its 'mouth' then gently fold it closed with the pliers. Sterling silver covers are quite soft and easy to squish out of shape so this is a delicate operation. 


Very light tapping and squeezing gets the cover properly lined up and sealed smoothly. Most beaders do not double crimp but I like to as the second crimp takes some of the weight off the first one. I usually separate out the crimps with a bead that matches the piece, so making them part of the design. 
The stones and beads go on next and the trickiest part is finishing the strand. Bead your crimp(s) on but don't crush yet. For this heavy necklace I used two lengths of tigertail and both strands would be doubled back to pass through the crimps again, so extra wide crimps were required.
Loop the tigertail onto the clasp (wire guards may be used if desired. See photo of blue eyeglass leash at top of article). Double back to thread through the crimps and the first 2 or 3 beads. Make sure to trim the wire to such a length that it will hide inside a bead. I've done this bit super loosely just for the photo before pulling it tight.


Once the wire is tucked away and beads are in position, only then are the crimps crushed and covered.
Onyx & oxidised silver necklace (custom OOAK order)
See how the covered crimps are now part of the design? The double string and double crimping makes this big necklace extra strong.


*** *** ***
Watch this space for part 2 of the letter C 
Click HERE to see all posts in the ABC series

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tuesday Treasuries

Treasuries are showcase lists of Etsy goodies from various shops. They are artfully put together by members of the Etsy community. As always, I am grateful to have been included. Thank you!!

'An Irish Love Song' by lynncorr

From my heart.


Irish Sea Pottery Pendant. D...
$19

Baby socks, footwear, St pat...
$16

Irish Home Decor Shamrock Do...
$12

Irish Claddagh Heart, Glass,...
$45

Ireland County Map 5 Color
$25

Sonas Celtic Folk CD Irish M...
$12

Sterling Silver Celtic Knot ...
$48

Wedding country bouquet ,sha...
$28.95

Carmel's Cupboard - 5 x ...
$4.5

Springtime Vines - Ornate Ce...
$7.5

Sylvia - Cabled Afghan with ...
$200

Connemara Marble with Wooden...
$85

FQ Pure Linen Fabric , 100% ...
$4

Irish Collar hand crocheted,...
$75

Irish cottage watercolor pai...
$18

Irish Wolfhound Art Print of...
$12

Thanks as always to Lynn Corrigan of Lynn's Creative Crochet who churns out a tonne of treasuries and loyally includes a lot of Irish sellers in particular. Thanks so much for including my dazzling blue sea pottery pendant. I see some of my local Etsy buddies in there too!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Inspirations from Nature

My walks in the hills and across cliffs last year inspired a number of pieces, some of which, are yet made to be made! A few months back I wrote about the gorgeous Autumnal colours on this stretch of the cliff walk from Greystones to Bray. The earthy tones moved me to wire wrap Connemara marble in copper for a change....
Cliffs from Greystones to Bray Autumn 2012, own photo

Copper wrapped Connemara  marble pendant


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tuesday Treasuries with a hint of Spring

Treasuries are showcase lists of Etsy goodies from various shops. They are artfully put together by members of the Etsy community. As always, I am grateful to have been included in a couple of recent ones by my Etsy colleagues near and far and would like to say THANK YOU

'Fresh Sea Breeze' by patchesandbeads

A day by the beach - imagining spring.


Handmade Knitted Linen Vest
$30

Gray Canvas Tote Large Beach...
$68

Natural drilled beach stones...
$29.9

vintage 1920s shoes / 20s br...
$220

Vintage ceramic carafe with ...
$48

KINDLE PAPERWHITE cover - wo...
$24

Sea Glass Necklace. Irish B...
$14.99

Air Plant Light Bulb Terrari...
$19.5

Set of 3 Ceramic Droplet Vas...
$150

6 x Sea Tumbled Shell Button...
$4.45

Organic Camisole Tank Top
$70

Mid Century Modern Vase - Pu...
$220

Beach Color Paper Bead Brace...
$12

Vintage French Postcard Book...
$14

Organic Hooded Fleece Croppe...
$115

VINTAGE '70s basket, met...
$26.5
Thanks to another prolific treasury maker, Cordulia, for this subtle and stylish list and for adding in my Irish sea glass necklace. Very chic treasury!

'Black Jazz....I said Aretha !' by linenartisan

New Listing from Etsy Ireland Team..have a look for wonderful gifts with soul and elegance ....enjoy!


Fender Gray guitar pick neck...
$4.08

Blues Brother
$70

Misty Blue Faux Knitted Deta...
$46

Black cotton headband. Large...
$15

Long Black Earrings. Downton...
$14

Bird, Linocut. Black and Red...
$25

Tree of life stainless steel...
$7.99

Grey Crochet Fingerless Mitt...
$18

Vintage Swarovski Art 6000 T...
$9

Nightfall Kilkenny High St....
$15

Black Organza Flower Brooch
$32

BEAUTIFUL BOOK // Antique SH...
$26.5

Bright Like a Diamond Pair o...
$155

Petunia Pink, Marigolds, and...
$39

Deep Rich Red Garnet Gemston...
$110

Silver Pearl Earrings. 1920s...
$12.5
And a big thank you too to Marga for this Irish 'Aretha' treasury featuring not one but 2 pairs of my earrings. Love the title and theme!!